Addressing the Health Needs of Refugees and Migrants in Turkiye: A Literature Review

Health Sci Rep. 2025 Feb 10;8(2):e70442. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70442. eCollection 2025 Feb.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although every human has the right to overall well-being, refugees worldwide often sustain inadequate healthcare. Türkiye, hosting a large refugee population, raises public concerns about providing equitable healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the Turkish healthcare system's effectiveness and limitations in addressing refugee health needs, identify challenges in accessing care, assess the impact of policies, and propose recommendations for improving refugee life quality.

METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature using databases like PubMed, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Our search focused on refugees impacted by recent crises and relevant policies. Keywords included "Refugee population in Türkiye," "Barriers to accessing healthcare," and "Turkish healthcare system." We included English-language articles relevant to our research objectives and empirical data, excluding studies not focused on refugees or migrants in Türkiye, and those published before 2010.

RESULTS: The review emphasizes the ongoing disparities in healthcare access for refugees in Türkiye. Despite significant efforts, barriers such as the locations of refugee camps, legal restrictions, and language differences continue to hinder healthcare access. Moreover, the sheer number of refugees exacerbates these issues. The recommendations focus on addressing these issues, ensuring better healthcare access, and improving refugee integration.

CONCLUSION: The large influx of refugees into Türkiye has led to an unequal distribution of resources, creating substantial challenges in providing equitable healthcare. Chronic conditions and mental health disorders among refugees further highlight these issues. This underscores the need for international policy improvements, legal reforms, innovative solutions like telemedicine, and a more comprehensive healthcare approach to support refugees. Reducing social stigma and improving refugee integration into the healthcare system is crucial for achieving better health outcomes.

PMID:39931254 | PMC:PMC11808316 | DOI:10.1002/hsr2.70442